This invention generally relates to davits and more particularly to a novel davit system especially suited for stowing of an inflatable dinghy or other small inflatable boat at the stern of a carrier craft. The davit system and its components are uniquely constructed so that the inflatable dinghy can be rotated between a horizontal, in-water position to a vertical, out-of-water stowed position without damaging the tubular sidewall of the inflatable dinghy or causing separation of the davit hardware that is attached.
In recent years various types of davits have been introduced to lift both hardshell and inflatable dinghies and other small boats from the water and to secure them to carrier boats. One of these devices designed for hardshells is shown for example in the following Davis U.S. Pat. No. 3,442,241.
The above mentioned prior art davits and others, however, all have proved unsatisfactory for various reasons. For example, prior davits for inflatable dinghies require elaborate metal frames that span the width of the dinghy, some of which are combined with either a winch or a hinge system with telescoping arms. Due to the large amount of material and/or moving parts needed to construct these davits, they are expensive, require extensive maintenance and are more prone to breakdown.
Furthermore, most of the previous systems required one to slide the inflatable dinghy into an underwater catch device resulting in inconvenience because the catches are often obscured from vision due to water refraction or murkiness. A further inconvenience of the underwater catch device is that most of the davits require one to exit the dinghy prior to attachment. The result is a more time consuming procedure because of the extra time necessary to leave the inflatable dinghy, and a more cumbersome procedure because no one can remain in the inflatable dinghy to guide it into the davit catch, which is especially a disadvantage in rough water where an unattended inflatable dinghy may be carried away.
The prior forms of davits for inflatable dinghies that do allow one to stay in the inflatable dinghy are also inconvenient. Not only do these davits allow you to use two people, but they require you to use two people, one in the inflatable dinghy and one in the carrier boat, to secure the dinghy prior to lifting.
Another disadvantage of the prior davits for inflatable dinghies is the fact that the large frames are both an eyesore and present a safety hazard to individuals working near them.
Prior davit systems designed for hardshell dinghies have been unsatisfactory for inflatable dinghies because the portion of the fastening device attached to the hardshell dinghy could not be attached to an inflatable dinghy due to the need for screws, bolts or rivets since the material of the fastening device would not form an adhesive bond with adhesives designed for general inflatable dinghy use.
Another disadvantage of the davits for hardshell dinghies is that the fastening device to be attached to the inflatable dinghy is too rigid and inflexible, resulting in either a rip in the inflatable dinghy material or the violent removal of the fastening device as the weight of the inflatable dinghy is transferred to the fastening devices during the lifting operation.
Considering the aforementioned as well as other problems associated with prior designs of davits, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved davit for inflatable dinghies and other inflatable boats that is inexpensive to manufacture, virtually service free, simple in design, resistant to break down, safe to work near, and aesthetically discrete.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved davit with the aforementioned characteristics which enables a single boatsman to rapidly and easily connect an inflatable dinghy or other small inflatable boat to a carrier boat even in high seas and rough water.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved davit with the aforementioned characteristics which enables a single boatsman to rapidly and easily swing the dinghy between a lowered, horizontal, in-water position and a raised, vertical, out-of-water position against the side of the carrier boat.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved davit with the aforementioned characteristics which enables a single boatman to move the inflatable dinghy between the aforementioned in-water and out-of-water positions without ripping the material of the inflatable dinghy's tubular sidewall or violently removing the fastening device attached to the dinghy due to the weight transfer occurring during the lifting operation.